Wall Structure with Horizontal Base Stud

ABSTRACT

A wall structure having a horizontal base stud, which wall structure has an upper wall panel, and a horizontal base stud, wherein the base stud has openings to allow for liquids to escape in the event of a plumbing leak, and additional openings to allow for air flow from the exterior to the interior of the wall structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/146,668, filed Feb. 7, 2021; and U.S. Provisional Application No.63/238,841, filed Aug. 31, 2021, the disclosures of which are herebyexpressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the creation of a new category of wallconstruction that employs horizontal studs at the base of the wall, andabove the floor. It can be used in new construction, renovation, andremodeling. When installed at the bottom of a wall, this horizontal basestud system addresses the problem of how to keep drywall dry during aplumbing leak, water intrusion, or flood, by raising the drywall up offof the floor.

In new construction, the horizontal base stud will be installed firstnear ground level, then the drywall can be installed immediately abovethe horizontal base stud. In renovation or remodeling applications, thebottom of the existing drywall can be removed at, or below, the heightof the baseboard or cove base being used. The horizontal base stud cannow be installed directly to the existing framed wall and verticalstuds. Finally, the baseboard or cove base can be installed directlyover, and in front of, the now hidden horizontal base stud system for afinished appearance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wall structures with a horizontal basestud which enables quick repair from plumbing leaks or other waterdamage.

In typical construction, walls are covered with a board material, calleddrywall. Because the drywall is installed with a lower edge adjacent thefloor of the room, any water intrusion from flooding, or a leak fromplumbing systems, such as showers, toilets, sinks, etc., can causesignificant damage from splashing, soaking, water wicking, where moldand mildew can potentially grow in the areas that are damaged. Manytimes the water damage will not be discovered early, and the water mayaccumulate several inches on the floor. Once the water is removed fromthe floor, the remaining clean up is time consuming and costly. Thewater will have soaked into the wall material, and if left untreated,mold and mildew will grow creating contamination and health issues.

To address the water and flood damage on the wall, the remediation teamwill contain the area, and then use air blowers, air scrubbers, anddehumidifiers to dry out the affected area. While the air-drying processis being completed, the portion of the wall that has been damaged by thewater must be repaired. Typically, the bottom portion of the wall iscovered with a base board, or cove base. The first step in the repairprocess is to remove the base board or cove base. The next step is toremove the wall portion damaged by the water. This step involves cuttingout the wet or damaged portion of the wall. During this cutting process,dust and debris are created, and is dispersed throughout the room. Thisdust and debris must later be cleaned up before the room can beconsidered clean. After the wet or damaged portion of the wall isremoved, the affected area is treated to ensure mold and mildew areremoved, and future growth inhibited. This may include applying a moldand mildew treatment solution, and additional drying steps. Until theroom is completely dried, and cleaned, the room must remain vacant, andcannot be used. The drying alone time can typically range from 24 to 72hours. This results in significant business disruption and loss ofrevenue.

After the room has dried, the wall must then be repaired. This involvessignificant carpentry and usually additional metal bracing work,depending upon the type of studs and wall configuration used in theconstruction. The construction of the wall may involve wooden or metalstuds. While metal studs are typically used in commercial and industrialapplications, they are now becoming popular in residential construction,renovations, and remodeling. The opening created from the removal of thewet or damaged wall portion is measured, and a replacement piece is cutto fit the opening and is attached to the wall. The painters then patchthe opening, seal the joints, and repaint the room. As is evident, theentire process involves several steps and time, requiring the servicesof outside contractors, carpenters, painters, and housekeepingpersonnel, all the while making the room unusable. In hospitalsituations, the need to ensure complete remediation through drying,construction repair, painting and cleaning is critical to continuepatient care. The length of time the room is not being used for patientcare is time consuming and costly.

What is needed is a wall structure that can be easily repaired in casesof plumbing leaks, water intrusions, and floods; and which repairprocess does not require the need to replace a portion of the wallitself, and yet allows the area to be dried, and the growth of mold andmildew to be avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, this invention is a wall structure containing ahorizontal base stud. The wall structure comprises a first wall panel, ahorizontal base stud, and a vertical support stud. The first wall panelis secured to the vertical support stud and sits above the horizontalbase stud. The wall panel has an inner surface facing the verticalsupport stud, and an exterior surface facing away from the verticalsupport stud. The horizontal base stud is secured to the verticalsupport stud below the wall panel, and has a top portion adjacent abottom edge of the wall panel, and a bottom portion adjacent but spacedabove a floor. The base stud further comprises a front surface, and thefront surface has an opening which would allow air flow to the innerpart of the wall structure.

In another aspect, this invention is a process for remediating waterdamage from a plumbing system leak, water intrusion, or flood. Theprocess comprises installing a wall structure having a horizontal basestud. The wall structure comprises a first wall panel, a horizontal basestud, and a vertical support stud. The first wall panel is secured tothe vertical support stud and sits above the horizontal base stud. Thewall panel has an inner surface facing the vertical support stud, and anexterior surface facing a room. The horizontal base stud is secured tothe vertical support stud below the wall panel, and has a bottom portionadjacent a floor. The bottom portion of the horizontal base stud has anopening which would allow liquids to escape from the inner part of thewall structure. The horizontal base stud further comprises a frontsurface, and the front surface has an opening which would allow air flowto the inner part of the wall structure. The process further comprisesinstalling a coping piece, which can be a base board, over the frontsurface of the horizontal base stud. Additionally, once there is a waterintrusion, flood or leak from the plumbing system in the room, thecoping piece is removed from the horizontal base stud. After removingthe coping piece, air dryers or air blowers move air through theopenings in the horizontal base stud, thereby drying the inner surfaceof the wall panel.

The wall structure of this invention enables a quick and easy method fordrying a wall after a plumbing leak, water intrusion, or flood. Whenthose events do not involve water exceeding the height of the horizontalbase stud, no removal or repair of the wall panel is needed. All that isrequired is removal of the coping piece or baseboard, drying of thearea, and replacing the coping piece or baseboard. Because the wallpanel has not incurred water damage, the need for mold and mildewremediation is possibly avoided.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts insimplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description.This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimedsubject matter, nor is it intended to be limiting, or used as an aid indetermining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisdisclosure will be apparent by reference to the following detaileddescription, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1, shows a front view of the wall structure of this invention

FIG. 2, shows a front perspective view of the base stud used in thisinvention showing the top surface of the base stud.

FIG. 3. shows a front perspective view of an alternative base stud usedin this invention showing the top surface of the base stud.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a preferred base stud used in thisinvention.

FIG. 5. shows a side view of a preferred wall structure used in thisinvention.

FIG. 6. shows a front view of a wall structure of this invention showingan alternative base stud useful in this invention.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a wall structure of this invention with thealternative base stud useful in this invention.

FIGS. 8 a-c show a side view of a nested version of the horizontal basestud of this invention where an inner spline is nested into the outerbase stud.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the nested version of the horizontalbase stud of this invention with an inner spline nested into the outerbase stud.

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a corner connection piece for thehorizontal base stud of this invention.

FIGS. 11 a-b show an alternative version of the horizontal base stud ofthis invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A wall structure 10 of a preferred embodiment of this invention is shownin FIG. 1. A wall panel 1 is shown secured to vertical studs 2 viascrews 8, above horizontal base stud 4. Base stud 4 is shown spaced 22apart and above floor 5. Wall panel 1 can be made of conventional panelmaterials known in the art, such as drywall, solid wood, faux wood,particle board, laminate, metal, plastic, and the like, and can be inany thickness. Preferably, the material is drywall, and is ½ or ⅝ inchthick. Wall panel 1 is secured to vertical studs 2 by conventionalmeans, such as via adhesive, and/or screws 8. Vertical studs 2 are madeof materials known in the art, and in an industrial setting, arepreferably metal, such as steel or aluminum. Wall panel 1 is securedabove horizontal base stud 4. The horizontal base stud 4 is secured tovertical studs 2 through an indented central portion 7 via typicalmeans, and preferably via screws 9. The thickness of the indent is thesame as thickness of the wall panel, and the indented portion isprovided in the mid-point of the width of the horizontal base stud. Basestud 4 can be made of conventional construction materials, and ispreferably made from galvanized steel. The horizontal base stud 4 ismade by running a large roll of flat steel through a roll form machine,and can be of any height, width of depth, with the width preferablymatching the width of the wall panel. Horizontal base stud 4 is shownspaced apart 22 of the floor surface 5 to allow water to escape from theinner part of the wall structure to the exterior. Preferably, the bottomportion or edge 6 of the base stud 4 is spaced one-quarter inch abovethe floor surface 5. The indented central portion 7 of the base stud 4has openings 18 in it which provide air flow between the exterior andinner part of the wall structure.

A preferred horizontal base stud 4 used in this invention is shown inFIG. 2. Base stud 4 has front face 11, top portion 12, inner indentedportion 7, and bottom portion 14. The width of base stud 4 can vary, butpreferably, the width is three and three eighths inches from the topportion 12 to bottom portion 14. As shown, top portion 12 is preferablybent at 90 degrees from front face 11 to provide a top surface 15,wherein top surface 15, is bent 90 degrees to provide back leg 16. Thewidth of top surface 15 can vary, but preferably matches the thicknessor depth of wall panel 1. Top surface 15 contains at least one opening17, which can be made by conventional means such as drilling, lasers,press punch, hole punch, and the like. Indented portion 7 preferably hasan indent width matching the width of the top surface 15. Inner indentedportion 7 can be located at any part of the front face 11, and ispreferably located in the center of the portion of the horizontal basestud. Horizontal base stud 4 is secured to vertical support studs (notshown) through indented portion 7. Preferably, screws (not shown) areused to secure base stud 4 to the vertical support studs (not shown),and the screws can be aligned on indented portion 7 by using a scoreline 24. Preferably, the indented portion 7 further comprises at leastone opening 18 to allow air flow from the exterior room to the interiorof the wall structure. Optionally, front face 11 could also compriseopenings instead of, or in addition to the openings in indent 7. Just asin the top portion 12, bottom portion 14 is bent 90 degrees to providebottom surface 19. Bottom surface 19 comprises at least one opening 20,and has a portion bent 90 degrees to provide for back leg 21. Theopenings 20 provide weep holes to allow liquids, such as water, from aplumbing leak to escape. Bottom surface 19 has the same width as topsurface 15.

Another alternative of the horizontal base stud of this invention is aflat panel with front facing legs at the top and bottom as is shown inFIG. 3. The flat panel will be secured to the vertical studs (not shown)as is described above, will have a bottom edge adjacent but spaced abovethe floor, and will have holes 18 punched into the front surface 11 toallow air to flow to the inner part of the wall structure. Top portion12, and bottom portion 14 are bent to provide top surface 15, and bottomsurface 19, and legs 25 and 26 are provided so that a coping piece orbase board (not shown) can be attached to cover the base stud. Holes 17are in top surface 15, and holes 20 are in the bottom surface 19. Topsurface 15, and bottom surface 19 have the same thickness as wall panel1.

From FIG. 4, the side view of base stud 4 shows front face 11; indent 7;top surface 15 with back leg 16; and bottom surface 19 with back leg 21.

From FIG. 5, a side view of the wall structure 10 of this invention isshown. Wall panel 1 is shown sitting above horizontal base stud 4, andattached to vertical stud 2. Base stud 4 is shown sitting above floor 5via space 22. Additionally, FIG. 5 shows coping 23 covering the frontface 11 of base stud 4.

In FIG. 6, an alternative wall structure 10 is shown with the base studshown in FIG. 3. Wall panel 1 is attached to vertical studs 2 via screws8, and is disposed above horizontal base stud 4. Base stud 4 iscomprised of a flat panel with a front surface 11 has openings 18punched through it to allow air passage from the front of the wallstructure to the interior of the wall structure. Openings 18 can be ofvarying sizes. Base stud 4 is secured to vertical studs 2 via screws 9.The base stud has top and bottom portions that are bent to provide legs25 and 26 to which a coping piece or baseboard (not shown) can beattached. The base stud 4 is spaced apart 22 from floor 5.

FIG. 7. shows a side view of the wall structure shown in FIG. 6. Wallstructure 10 has wall panel 1 disposed above horizontal base stud 4 andattached to vertical stud 2. Base stud 4 has a flat panel adjacentvertical stud 2, and leg 25 on the top portion, and leg 26 on the bottomportion. Coping piece 23 is shown attached to leg 25 and leg 26. Basestud 4 is spaced 22 above floor 5.

The wall structure of this invention can be made using conventionalconstruction methods and materials. Typically, the walls of a room arefirst framed using vertical studs attached to a top and bottom track.Vertical studs are placed at regular intervals, typically 16 or 24inches apart. Once the framed wall is in place, it is attached to thefloor and ceiling, then the wall panels are secured to the verticalstuds. In a first method of this invention, the horizontal base stud isfirst installed near the bottom of the framed wall by attaching it tothe vertical studs. The wall panel is then installed above thehorizontal base stud. In an alternative method, the wall panel isattached to the vertical studs with enough open space at the bottom toinstall the horizontal base stud slightly up off of the floor, and thenattaching the base stud to the vertical studs. The horizontal base studpreferably has a number of openings on the front surface of the stud toallow air flow from the front surface to the interior area of the wallstructure, meaning the area between the back surface of the wall panel,and the vertical support studs. Preferably, there are multiple openingsspaced 5 inches apart, and the openings can be of varying sizes to allowfor the efficient flow of air. The base stud has top and bottom surfacesthat match the width of the wall panel. The top and bottom surfaces haveopenings spaced preferably 21 inches apart from each other. The finalpiece of the wall structure is a coping base, or base board that isattached to the front surface of the horizontal base stud.

The wall structure can house a plumbing system either on the insideportion of the wall structure or in a room containing the plumbingsystem. The plumbing system can be made up of conventional partsincluding pipes, sinks, drains, toilets, showers, and the like. If thereis a leak in the system, the liquid or water can flow out from the weepor drain holes in the bottom surface of the horizontal base stud, orthrough the gap located between the bottom surface of the horizontalbase stud and floor. After a plumbing leak, water intrusion, or floodoccurs, the coping piece or base board can be removed from the frontface of the horizontal base stud. Thereafter, air blowers, air scrubbersor dehumidifiers can be introduced, and aimed toward the wall structure.As the blowers are activated, air is transferred to the interior portionof the wall structure through the openings in the horizontal base studto dry the interior of the wall structure without having to remove anypart of the wall panel.

The wall structure with the horizontal base stud can have furthercomponents such as an extender that interlocks and slides freely intothe back side of the horizontal bases stud pieces such as are shown inFIG. 8. In FIG. 8a , an inner spline piece 27 is shown and has the sameshape as outer base stud piece 4 which is shown in FIG. 8b . Splinepiece 27 will also have openings 28 in the top surface, and 29 in thebottom surface to facilitate air flow in the same manner as the openings17 and 20 in the horizontal base stud. Inner piece 27 is shown nestedinto outer base stud piece 4 in FIG. 8c . FIG. 9 also shows the nestedinner piece 27 into outer base stud 4. Shorter spline pieces can also beused to interlock and slide into the back side of the horizontal basestud pieces. These pieces work well with the horizontal base studsformed with indents, and top and bottom surfaces with back legs.Additionally, inside and outside corner pieces can be used. FIG. 10shows a corner connector 30 for the horizontal base studs useful in thisinvention. The corner connector will have the same shape as thehorizontal base stud 4 so it can nest inside base stud 4. The horizontalbase stud can also be fabricated, via notches or kerfs, to provide bothan inside radius horizontal base stud, and an outside radius horizontalbase stud piece. The width of the base stud can vary depending upon therisks of plumbing damage in the specific construction project.

FIG. 11a shows yet another alternative base stud 4 of this invention.Base stud 4 has leg 16 at the upper portion 12, and leg 21 at the lowerportion 19, and can be affixed to vertical studs (not shown) via screws9. Base stud 4 has front face 11, which will have openings 18 punchedthrough. FIG. 11b shows a perspective view of the base stud 4 of FIG.11a . From FIG. 11b , holes 17 in the top portion 15, and holes 20 (inphantom) in bottom portion 19 are shown.

The advantages of the wall structure of this invention are many, andthere is nothing available in the industry to address the problem ofwater damage remediation in a quick and efficient manner, or the otherbenefits of employing a horizontal base stud as disclosed in thisinvention. The horizontal base stud can be employed in permanent andnon-permanent walls. Since the horizontal base stud can be made from anymaterial that does not absorb water, such as metal, plastics, etc., thebuilder has design flexibility to meet the structural and budget demandsof the job. The materials selected for the horizontal base stud can beof structural or non-structural strength; can be fire rated, or non-firerated; can be solid or perforated; insulated or non-insulated. Thehorizontal base stud can be made of varying height, depth or width tomeet the specifications of the job. The materials can come in a varietyof colors to fit the aesthetics of the job. Typically, the metal orplastic used to make the horizontal base stud will be lighter than thewall material it replaces, and it will not warp or rot. Further, becauseit is not made of wood, the horizontal base stud is resistant to pests,such as termites or carpenter ants.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wall structure having a horizontal base stud,said wall structure comprising a first wall panel, a horizontal basestud, and a vertical support stud; said first wall panel being securedto the vertical support stud, and sitting above the horizontal basestud; said wall panel having an inner surface facing the verticalsupport stud, and an exterior surface facing away from the verticalsupport stud; said horizontal base stud being secured to the verticalsupport stud below the wall panel, and having an upper portion adjacenta bottom edge of the wall panel, and a bottom portion adjacent butspaced above a floor; and said horizontal base stud further comprising afront surface having an opening which would allow air flow to the innersurface of the wall structure.
 2. The wall structure of claim 1, whereinthe bottom portion of the horizontal base stud has a flat surface bentfrom the front surface and sitting spaced above the floor, and said flatsurface having an opening.
 3. The wall structure of claim 2, wherein theflat surface is bent 90 degrees from the front surface.
 4. The wallstructure of claim 3, wherein the front face of the horizontal base studhas more than one opening, and the flat surface of the bottom portionhas more than one opening.
 5. The wall structure of claim 4, wherein thetop portion of the horizontal base stud has a flat surface bent from thefront surface.
 6. The wall structure of claim 5, wherein the flatsurface is bent 90 degrees from the front surface of the horizontal basestud.
 7. The wall structure of claim 6, wherein the openings in the flatsurface of the bottom portion of the horizontal base stud allow water toescape from the inside portion of the wall structure.
 8. The wallstructure of claim 7, wherein the wall structure is employed in a roomcontaining a plumbing system.
 9. The wall structure of claim 8, whereinthe plumbing system is employed on the inner surface of the wallstructure.
 10. The wall structure of claim 9, wherein a coping piece isattached to the front surface of the horizontal base stud.